Remembering
by Mr.Baratheon97
Summary: Kari's at the height of her good fortune, but when she returns years after leaving, she finds that things haven't quite worked out back at home. TK's been facing demons, and slowly begins to lose the will to fight on… A little Davis bashing, not too much Takari, Unfinished. Disclaimer: I don't own digimon
1. Prologue

Remembering

Prologue, Kari - Farewell

The room was a bustle of movement as everyone failed to settle. While some crowded the food others argued over the remote, and there were those content enough with the atmosphere enough to just sit and watch. This was what Kari was doing, inspecting the crudely drawn banner hanging over the room, which read '_Farewell_'. Feeling a small tear of gratitude, Kari took a tissue and wiped her face. _C'mon, what are you gonna do tomorrow, if you can't control yourself now?_ She let a hand wrap around her shoulder and give her a supportive squeeze. 'You're not going to start that now, are you? You've not even left yet!' _TK, always the comforter_. She gave him a smile and then a playful shove. 'Who said I'd cry at all?' she said, feigning annoyance. 'Kari... you're the queen of water works.' he pointed out matter-of-factly.

He sat down on the sofa, in between Sora and Matt, who was arguing with Tai about what to watch on the television, which was older and noisier than the group would have liked.

'We've seen this show a bazillion times!' yelled Tai, discontent with the comedy Matt had put on.

'Well,' he retorted, 'I don't think anyone really wants to watch the football all day.'

Somewhere behind them, Davis piped up 'Actually, that's not a bad idea...'

Sora shook her head disgracefully and stretched behind TK to snatch the remote off of the men. She quickly had a grasp on it, and pulled it out of their clutches. 'Let's let Kari decide.' she ordered, pushing the remote into Kari's hands. Kari sat down on the sofa, next to her brother, and flicked through the channels for a while before stopping on a movie. There was a growing quiet now, as others had begun to settle around the couch. They watched the film in a mild silence, disturbances from Davis and Yolei signalling when to take breaks to eat. 'I wish this day never ends' Kari thought out loud, as the movie finished. The sun, which was winking it's goodbye as the rays of light disappeared underneath the horizon, signalled the approach of the termination of this moment - when everyone was together, happy. While the chatting had started up again, TK saw a sad look in her eyes and pulled her aside. Softly, he said 'We'll still be here when you get back, ok?' and gave her a hug. She smiled and returned the hug, saying 'I'm going to miss you.'

'Me too.' he added, breaking away from her to reach for a can of soda, which he pressed into her hand. 'C'mon now, let's get back to the next film - and drink that. You haven't touched any of the food yet.' he observed, turning and going to the sofa again.

Kari looked at the scene: Matt was sitting, holding Mimi in his lap as they cuddled, while Tai and Sora glared at each other besides them. Joe and Izzy were still debating over something, and Cody was listening intently. Ken would've joined them if Yolei wasn't plastered and glued to him, anchoring him to the floor. Davis was pigging out on the other side of the floor in front of the sofa, next to TK. _This is so sweet it's borderline cheesy_. Kari chose to sit next to TK, where she could actually hear the TV over the chatter. Like TK, she quietly watched the film, following the story and the characters. She sipped at her drink, taking in the bubbly fluid that quenched her parched throat. It was as this movie concluded to a happy ending that Davis piped up 'It's getting kinda late. My parents would kill me if I didn't go now...' and he grabbed his coat. Before leaving, he yelled 'Bye Kari!' and rushed to hug her, saying a range of things from 'I'll miss you!' to 'I love you Kari!' and 'Don't forget me!'

Kari smiled despite the clingy remarks, having become used to him over the last few years. Cody bowed politely and said 'I'd better go too, my Mom might ground me. Bye Kari!' and he gave her a quick hug (_Wow, Cody never hugs anyone!_) and ran off. Yolei jumped up and told her as she put her friend in a tight grapple, 'He forgot to get me to fix some stuff on his computer.' and she wiped a tear from underneath her glasses. 'See you soon, ok?' and she hugged her even tighter. Ken nodded his goodbye, and allowed Yolei to drag him away before she began crying in front of everybody. Izzy gave her a pat on the shoulder and said 'You can call me if you ever have some form of malfunction with your computer.' and Joe offered to give her advice if she ever felt sick. _Glad I have contacts with all sorts of skills_. She relaxed slightly as they left, meaning she wouldn't have to fight back the tears of joy until they saw her off tomorrow. Left behind were herself, TK, their brothers and their respective girlfriends. The four of then were all cuddled up, leaving herself and TK to themselves. _It's like they do this on purpose, not that I mind..._ She curled up to him, and felt a rush of relief as he put his arm tenderly around her shoulder. She felt soothing warmth wrap her and satiate her desire for contact. She gently placed her head on his chest, and that's when she felt a little squirm. _He's getting comfortable!_ She let him, reminding herself she wouldn't see him for a while, so she was obliged to indulge.

It was very late when they decided it was best to take off. TK even pecked her cheek affectionately, and Kari blushed furiously as he wished her goodnight. _Always the charmer_. Sora, Matt and Mimi also bid farewell, leaving Tai and Kari to finish what was left of the cleaning. 'Did you have fun?' her brother asked, watching her as she picked up a plastic cup. Smiling, she answered 'It was great. Thank you.' and she gave her brother a loving hug. Kari really was going to miss this, and she was definitely planning on crying at the airport tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1, Kari - The Adult World

_Back home, 18 weeks ago_

Kari was already awake and dressed by the time a soft knock on the door alerted her family's rise from their individual slumbers. She opened the door quickly, and with a tense 'Morning, Dad.' she slipped past and made her way to the kitchen. There was a warmth spreading through the bare room, where there was some awkward furniture and still-unpacked boxes, and Kari was certain it wasn't her mother cooking: 'Tai, are you _seriously_ up early?' she called.

Tai stuck his bushy brown head out and stuck his tongue out. 'Couldn't sleep. Got too much energy.' he told her. She nodded in agreement, and sat at the table. She stared curiously at the mass of papers spread over the dining table, collecting them into a thick pile of essays and equations. 'Erm... Tai? Is this your homework?'

Tai looked at her, and his eyes widened. He ran over and snatched the stack from her, shuffling through each sheet to make sure they were in order. Placing them back on the table, he scolded 'Don't distract me when I'm cooking, Kari.'

'But isn't your homework-'

'No 'buts'! Now, go get ready for school.' he ordered, trying to stop her from nagging.

Rolling her eyes, she uttered 'I _am_ ready Tai.'

When she deemed the time appropriate, Kari hastily put on her light bag and made for the door. Her brother noticed the rush in his sister's pace, calling 'You're really early, y'know?', but she couldn't care to listen. She forced herself to the high school her brother used to attend; the one she was now going to, where she'd meet most of her old friends. Her nerves were on end - it took all of her will to make herself move forward, as opposed to running back to the sanctuary of her bedroom. A twinge of sadness ran through her: _What will I do if no one likes me? Or if someone tries to fight with me?_ She then laughed to herself, remembering that this wasn't middle school, with a load of cooped-up kids. _This is the adult world_. When she arrived, she was surprised to see that the grounds were practically derelict. There were few if any students around, and the building's interior was not as bright as she imagined. She slowly explored the desolate building, stealing glances at some of the older people, who in turn were inspecting the new arrival. There were few, if any, familiar faces, and it didn't occur to her to look for anyone she knew. Calmly, she strode to the reception in order to get her administration completed. She sat in the waiting room for what seemed an age when a tall girl with long lilac hair walked in, a large stack of paper in her hands. _Wait, I only know one person with lilac hair_. But this girl didn't have glasses, or awkwardly long dresses and a bandana. 'Yolei?' Kari called, only for the girl to spin quickly, dropping some of her papers. She got down quickly and picked up the dropped sheets, while the girl stared at her in disbelief. 'Kari?!' and she laughed 'I must need my glasses back!', hugging her friend. She smiled, but this was short lived: through a frown the girl asked 'Why didn't you call?'

_It's not like I was avoiding you guys_. Flustered, Kari replied 'I... thought I... I wanted to surprise you all!'

Rolling her eyes, Yolei remarked 'Nice try. It's ok if you forgot.' and was pushed back as Kari hugged her. _It's been way too long_. Kari let Yolei give her a quick tour of the school before leaving her at her form class, which was opened early in the morning. Before she went in, Kari asked 'Do the others go here?' and Yolei froze, wondering whether it was her place, or in her best interests, to give Kari the truth.

_School, Present day_

Kari breathed in the cool air, taking nourishment from the breeze that marked the end of being stuffed in the hot schoolrooms. _Ah, fresh air_. She felt her skin prickle at the touch of the wind, and she walked further into the cold, carrying her jacket in her arms. Standing besides her boyfriend, Yolei spotted her from the gate and waited for her to catch up, though Kari walked slowly in order to savour the breeze. When she caught up to her friend, she tugged at the gate an ambled through, briskly pacing down the pavement. Yolei and Ken watched her and remarked, a hint of question in her voice, 'Someone's quiet today.'

Kari's concentration dissolved, bringing her out of her fixation with the air. 'Oh? Yeah, sorry.'

'So... what's up?' asked Yolei, in an attempt to act casual.

Kari frowned, and reported 'I haven't seen TK all day. Do you think he's ok?'

'I'm sure he's great, probably living it up at home.' piped up Ken.

Internally, alarm bells went of as Kari thought of him being alone, in his state. But she voiced 'That's what I'm afraid of.' chuckling with her friends as they walked.

_School, 18 weeks ago_

Yolei stood, her shoulders stuff from the tense nerves triggered by Kari's inquiry. 'Well, erm...' she began, her voice faltering as she struggled to complete her sentence. 'Davis and TK go here, if that's what you mean... Ken's transferred this year too, from Tamachi High.'

Kari smiled. _Everyone's together_. 'But,' Yolei continued, 'you should know... the group's kinda... non-existent now.'

'What d'you mean?' asked Kari, a sudden fear rising in her chest. _Did they fight?_

'I'd rather not talk about it. I don't really know much about it, Ken says that TK's over it but-'

Has... someone bullied TK?' Kari gasped.

'No!' Yolei burst quickly, killing a suggestion that could put Kari's brain into overload. 'It was way worse.' She thought, choosing to instead say: 'He and Davis kinda had a spat, but it's over now. When you see him, say 'hi' from me, I haven't really seen him and would rather you hear anything from them.'

Kari nodded, and let Yolei indulge her sudden interest in her locker, which was on the other side of the school. Before she left, she said 'Feel free to go into class...'

Kari felt a part of herself shatter as Yolei informed her of the gang's shortcoming. Did they really just fall apart? A part of her didn't want to know, while the other half of her brain believed she could fix whatever happened. She was about to walk in the door when something about what Yolei held her back. _Nah, I won't see him today, it's a big school_.

Nervously, Kari reached out and opened the door of the classroom beside her, the one Yolei had indicated before running off. She walked in, and remembered how early she was. The teacher was sitting at his desk, reading a book and writing on some papers. The only other person in the class was a boy, who was reading silently at the far-back corner of the class. The teacher looked up at the door, with an annoyed face as he'd been disturbed, but it immediately transformed into a wide smile. 'Well hello. You must be...' he sought for the name in his head, 'Miss Kamiya, the new student I presume.' His voice was gentle and casual, unlike any teacher she'd had before.

She bowed politely, replying 'Yes, sir. I guess I found the right room.'

'At least you have some initiative, unlike some of my other students.' and Kari swore she saw him beckon to the boy at the back, but she said nothing. He said 'Sit where you like. It's first come first served with me, as _Sir_ here knows too well.'

At the mention of the title, the boy smirked, but continued reading. Kari took the seat in the front row, directly next to a window. She set her bag down, and looked around the classroom again. While the walls were bare, the slate cleaned for a new year, Kari noticed that there were posters all along the back wall, and the chalkboard at the front already had a welcoming message plastered everywhere. This is great, the teacher's nice, I might enjoy it here. Kari let the idea toy in her head, until her thoughts were broken by the scraping of a chair. 'I'll be back in a bit, need to get some stuff.' and he hurried out of the class.

Kari suddenly felt afraid. While she was now acquainted with her teacher, there was still a stranger sitting at the back of the class, behind her, and while she couldn't see she was sure that his face was trained on the pages of his book. She sighed deeply, as if she was trying to make her presence known, but she knew that would be a vain effort. _People like him don't fall for that; he's clearly got a line_. Bordering irritation, Kari swivelled in her chair to get a better view of the boy. Though he was seated, she could tell that he was tall and skinny; his wrists were thin and his legs slender. His arms were practically skin and bone, but there was a definition of muscle underneath his long sleeves. His face was sculpted, though the bags under his eyes and the pale quality made him seem sickly. She looked at his face fondly, his messy blond hair and icy eyes putting her into a nostalgic mood she couldn't explain. _It's like I know him from somewhere_. She watched as he turned the page, and looked up, meeting her eyes. It was then that she realised that she was staring. She hurriedly turned in her seat again, feigning disinterest, when really she was curious. _I wonder who he is.._. She opened her mouth to say something when a bell chimed, and students were entering the class. They all looked at her similarly; firstly, they gave her curious looks like she was some kind of exhibit, but then a look of realisation spread across their faces and they introduced themselves. It took a few minutes for Kari to become acquainted with everyone, and she still didn't know who the boy at the back was. A group of girls now sat with her, clearly being the fake-kind-of-friends that would become your enemy at the smallest slight. When she asked them about him, one of the girls chirped 'Him? Who cares?'

Another girl cut across her. She seemed to be the leader. 'Its ok, she's new, so its natural to be curious. _That_-' she gestured to the boy 'is _Special K_. Bit weird, that one.'

_Seemed fine to me_. 'Yeah, he was hanging out with the teacher all morning.' Kari informed, to which the girl nodded. 'Did that last year, too.' She replied, adding 'You should probably stay away from him. He's not right.'  
Another girl added 'I've called him that for so long, I've forgotten his actual name!' and the group giggled loudly.  
Curiously, Kari asked 'What's up with him? He doesn't speak…?'

'Socially awkward? A loner? _A stupid git_?' the lead girl suggested irritably, like this wasn't how she planned on spending her morning. 'A couple years ago, he got into a huge fight with _Davis Motamiya_, and he even pulled a knife!'

The name clicked in Kari's head. She exclaimed 'Davis?', shocked that anyone would use his name with such reverence, and the girls swooned. Kari heard all sorts of lines, and concluded that it definitely was the Davis she knew. 'Do you know him?' asked the gang leader.

'Yeah,' Kari admitted 'we used to go to school together.'  
The girls stopped talking, giving silence in which a girl could ask 'You know Davis?' and Kari's nod had them squealing. Her thoughts on 'Special K' were put aside as she assured them that once she had talked to Davis, she would introduce them. The girls were chatty, but an excellent source of information, relaying four-years' worth of gossip in a single morning. She inadvertently learned a fair bit about 'Special K' – he was a weird kid who got into a fight, which led to his exclusion from the school student body. Apparently he used to play basketball, but he quit. There was a lot of animosity for the boy, and though Kari hadn't actually met him properly, she felt sympathy. _These people have been bullying him for so long_.

It was then that the teacher returned, and began the register, calling for his class to settle. He read through the names, asking everyone to say something about himself or herself as they answered. 'I'm Kari Kamiya, and I like art class.' was all she could think of, but she didn't really care. The teacher continued and reached a name that shocked Kari to the core.

'Takeru?'

Everyone spun in their seat to face the boy at the back, who was still reading. Evidently he couldn't hear, as he had headphones in. No one saw the piece up crumpled paper that flew from the teacher to the boy's desk, where it landed. Pulled out of his reading trance, _Takeru_ looked up and asked coldly 'What?'

'That's not how you talk to me, mister-'

'What, _sir_?' he asked bitterly, putting his book down and pulling his headphones off. The adult sighed. 'Introduce yourself.' ordered the teacher, only for Takeru to ignore him and get up from his seat. 'Where are you going?' asked the teacher calmly, only to be ignored again. There were murmurs as the boy casually abandoned the classroom, only for the teacher to mumble 'No one will understand … now where was I?'

_Takeru Takaishi. That's… TK! _Kari was about to feel such elation, but a sense of concern stopped her. She didn't know why he looked so ill, or what these people had done to him over the past few years. The boy she knew wouldn't have done such a thing, on the first day no less! She remembered what the girls had told her. _Am I supposed to believe that TK tried to knife Davis? _Kari looked around as the class continued around her. One of the more sincere girls, who was sitting by her, leaned in and said 'That's Special K for you,' and pointed at the table, where his book was still open. The teacher had given them free time as he prepared some more work, allowing Kari to get up. When she reached TK's desk, she saw that in his book, marking his page, was a thickly folded piece of paper. She unfolded it, revealing a pencil sketch drawing, of her sitting at her desk. _God TK, always the admirer_.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2, TK - The Things He Deserves

_School 6 weeks, 4 days ago_

'Don't you ever go outside?' Kari asked him, jokingly at first, but changing her tone to a more serious one as she watched him frown behind his novel. 'Reading isn't everything, y'know.'

TK, who was hardly listening (preferring the music being pumped through his headphones), refused to even crack a smile at her. _Who is she, to come into my life trying to change things?_ He continued to read, turning the pages slower than usual to increase her agitation. Sitting alone at the back of the dark, shaded class, generally reading in school and being by himself all the time were routine now - she was affecting what was functional. _Is it that great though_? He looked up from under his hat, from behind the book, and his eyes met hers for the first real time. While he saw a warm set of brown pools, TK was certain that his were cold and icy. She broke the contact, confirming his suspicion. He continued where he left off in his book, wondering why she actually talked to him at all.

_TK's bedroom, Present day_

He threw the pen down in frustration, struggling to find the words to express his inner most thoughts with. He looked up as the wall in front of him, which was plastered with diagrams, letters and pictures he'd collected over the past few years. _This is so wrong_. He wasn't sure what to write, but this might be the most important thing he'd write in his life. He stared at the page, and then out the window, where the wind was blowing hard and the sun was fiercely illuminating against a greying sky. _There's going to be rain later_. Not that he'd planned to see it. Shakily, TK got up from his chair and flopped onto his bed, which was much more comforting. The navy walls and white ceiling felt cold now, just like everything else in his life. His family, his friends - _what friends? They hate me_. He got up again, and began to rummage through the rickety cupboards he hadn't thought to replace. In the bottom drawer, he found a shoebox. He pulled it out, hurriedly emptying the contents onto his bed, his eyes tearing up and a lump growing in his throat as he did so. _Some photos, a hat, and a letter from Dad: This is all I have to show for my life_? He picked up a seashell and fiddled with it fondly. _A seashell from my __first __date with Kari, so I'd never forget_. He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his khakis and stared at her name, in his contact list. She had once been a constant receiver, but he rarely texted her now, let alone calling. His finger lightly pressed over the button, but he pulled away. She wouldn't understand me, even if it were more than most. Suddenly, the phone began buzzing in his hand. He rolled his eyes at fate. _It's Kari, what a coincidence_. He chose to ignore the call, knowing his shaky voice would give his plan away. He threw his phone onto the bed and groaned in frustration, still unsure of what he wanted, in life, and in that moment.

_School 6 weeks. 4 days ago_

TK sat quietly while Kari rambled on in front of him - a blind effort to make him talk, no doubt. He was irritated by the idea that her return was reason enough to just be his best friend, his everything, again. But over the last few years, an animosity had grown over him, one he didn't think he'd ever be able to feel against Kari. But here he was, hating more and more the way he was ignoring her, but blaming her all the same. Ken had always said 'Breathe. Relax. Think.' and that was what he was going to do now. He took a shallow breath, and immediately exhaled, letting his shoulders loosen as he put the book down on the table, his thumb still holding his page. 'Kari, could you not-'

'Sorry? I'm just trying to help.' she argued, raising her voice. TK looked at her with an almost pained expression, and told her 'You're wasting your time. Why don't you find some better friends?'

Kari gave him a quizzical look. 'Erm, last time I checked TK, _you_ were my best friend.'

As she uttered those words, TK flinched, as if she had just run over a puppy. He mulled over her words in disbelief, reassuring himself that she was lying. _Where were you when 'Special K' needed a best friend?_ He hesitated to answer, or continue the conversations at all. The way she said it, with pure confidence, like it was the most obvious thing, was what had thrown TK off. He doubted that she actually held that opinion, but he desperately wanted to get away from her. _To think_.

'I don't think so.' he replied harshly. He grimaced, as if making his point, and slammed his book down aggressively. 'I think you should leave Special K alone.'

'Don't be like that, please?' Kari began, but the boy in front of her had got up and was making to leave the classroom when the teacher entered. He smiled at TK, but it became weaker as he realized that this morning, the sentiment would not be returned. 'Ready for today's session?'

'No.' the boy replied quietly, walking around his teacher and out of the door.

Kari looked at her wooden desk and sighed. All she had done was annoy TK, and leave herself in a position of confusion; _what session? Why doesn't he like me anymore? TK never used to be so cold..._ She got up to follow him, when a gentle touch to her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. She turned to meet the professor, who asked 'I hope you're not going to agitate him. He's had more than enough of that these past years. If you see him, tell him counseling will be after school.'

Stunned, Kari nodded, and quickly left the room. She was shocked to see a group of students in a huge group, cheering and jeering. Kari cautiously approached the crowed, and craned her neck to see what was ahead. 'Knock him out, Davis!'

'Make K _really_ special!'

'Special K looks scared, Davis!'

Kari gasped, for in the middle of the mass of students were TK and _Davis_, staring head on at each other. While Davis seemed much more surprised, TK looked - well, frightened. Kari could make out that they were having a quiet conversation, but it wasn't finished, because Davis swung out and caught his cheek, much to satisfaction of the student body that had accumulated over those short minutes of the morning. _They have been bullying him_. TK fell backwards, more out of surprise, and landed on the floor. Davis' foot rose in the air, and was about to greet TK's stomach if it wasn't for Kari's quick intervention. She stood tall in between the two boys, glaring at her former friend. 'What the hell, Davis?' she yelled in anger.

Instead of the apology she was expecting, Davis said 'Kari? When'd you get here?'

'Forget that Davis. Why did you hit him?'

TK was stunned that the beating had not escalated further, but even more shocked that someone had gotten in the way. He rubbed his cheek and tried forcing the tears back. _I should be used to this by now_. He looked up at the person in front of him, realizing that _Kari_ had stepped in. He refocused on the conversation:

'Who, _Special K_? It's what the people want.' Davis stated, a smirk growing.

'You think this is _funny_?' Kari growled. 'He has a name.'

From the floor, TK whispered 'Not anymore, Kari.'

She knelt down besides him and held his hand. Pulling him up, she took him away from the brightness of the hallway and into the shadows of the classroom, where the teacher was no where to be found. 'TK?' There was no reaction. 'Takeru?' Nothing. _She won't understand_. TK went over to his desk, sat down, and began to read his book again from where he'd left off. Being alone was what was comfortable, and he'd be damned if he was going to let Kari ruin her life for him, by rying to help.

After school, TK waited around in the class as the teacher dramatically ruffled stacks of paper. The teacher spoke 'I see you've made a friend.' in a conversational tone.

'No.' ended TK bitterly.

'No? Kari seems nice.'

'It's an act. No one's nice to me.' He considered, 'She must have some kind of ulterior motive.'

The teacher frowned, but left it at that. 'Anything you want to talk about? Get off your chest?'

'No.' TK declared, albeit hesitantly.

'Keeping secrets isn't going to help anybody.'

TK didn't reply, but he nodded slowly. 'Can I go now?'

'Show me your arms first.'

TK slowly rolled up his sleeves, displaying the red felt-tip lines jagged across the canvas of his pale skin. 'This is more than usual, Takeru. I know it's your alternative, but if you want to talk-'

'N-not right now, sir.' TK said quietly. Every session brought him teary eyed.  
'Ok. You can go.'

TK quickly exited the room and paced home. _It'll be over soon, I swear_. He pulled out a red ballpoint pen and scrawled on his arm, wishing that the pain were real. _I deserve this punishment_.


End file.
